One American dead in Algeria hostage crisis

U.S. officials confirmed Friday that one American has died in the hostage standoff at the Algerian natural gas field, The Associated Press reported, though reliable details about the terror attack there remained elusive.

The AP said the dead American was Frederick Buttaccio of Texas, that his remains had been “recovered” and his family notified, but “it is unclear how he died.” The report was one of the few solid confirmations of fact about the terrorist attack at the In Amenas field, which has been the subject of wildly different news accounts that have whipsawed from optimistic to dire.

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President Barack Obama is “receiving regular updates from his national security team on the ongoing situation in Algeria,” White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said Friday.

“We are in constant contact with the government of Algeria and have been clear that our first priority is the safety and security of the hostages,” Vietor said. “The president discussed the situation with [UK Prime Minister David] Cameron yesterday, and we are in close touch with our other international partners, as well as BP’s security office in London.”

Later in the day, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she underscored to Algerian Prime Minister Abdul-Malik Salal that "the utmost care must be taken to preserve innocent life" in the unfolding hostage crisis.

“The U.S. extends our condolences to all the families who have lost loved ones in this brutal assault," she said. "We remain deeply concerned about those who remain in danger.”

Clinton said the United States is working with Algeria and affected nations around the world to bring an end to the crisis.

"More broadly, it is absolutely essential that we broaden and deepen our counterterrorism operation going forward with Algeria in all counterterrorism efforts," she said. "I made clear to the prime minister we stand ready to further enhance the counterterrorism support we already provide.”

Some details about the attack have emerged in the European press, including through the accounts of workers who were forced to wear explosive belts or saw the terrorist attackers shoot their colleagues. But Algerian state news agencies initially said an army operation to liberate the hostages was over, although it appeared Friday from Clinton’s comments and other accounts that some of them remained in captivity.

Pentagon officials told CNN on Thursday they had sent a surveillance drone to observe the gas field, and the New York Times reported on Friday that two U.S. Air Force cargo planes had helped evacuate some people from In Amenas, near the Libyan border.